Many battery-powered portable electronic devices have user-accessible internal compartments for housing one or more batteries. Generally, the batteries are mechanically secured within the compartment and electrically coupled to the internal circuitry of the device. In some applications mechanical specifications require good environmental weathering and shock resistance. The battery and battery compartment are potential problem areas for meeting these specifications. This is particularly true in devices having high density battery packs, which represent a significant percentage of the total weight of the radios. Examples of such devices include high power portable radios.
Some prior art radios have batteries loosely fitted within the battery compartment which may be optionally secured with a battery compartment cover. Sometimes, the battery compartment is formed to properly locate and position the battery. However, such configurations may not meet specification requirements for protection against environmental elements and for shock resistance. For example, water, dust, and other environmental contaminants may penetrate the radio housing through the battery compartment to damage sensitive internal electrical components within the radio. Additionally, when subjected to a severe shock, such as the impact resulting from a dropped radio, a loosely fitted battery may shift around and disengage from battery contacts or cause damage to itself or portions of the radio. Hence, it is important to properly secure the battery in such applications.
There exists a need for a battery support structure within an internal battery compartment of an electronic device which secures the battery which provides improved protection for the electronic device and its internal components.